Napisao Frame | 26 maj 2010
Posted in Vesti - Starcraft

Amazon.com is hosting the “Ask the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Developers & Producers” contest right now, providing all gamers the opportunity to submit a short video asking any StarCraft-related questions. You have through June 1 to enter, so fire up that reel-to-reel video recorder in your attic and get to taping your best question (note: digital devices are probably preferable). Check out all of the details here: http://w ww.amazon.com/Starcra ft-II-Wings-Liberty-P c/dp/B000ZKA0J6

Napisao Frame | 24 maj 2010
Posted in Vesti - Blizzard

We have a repair utility in testing internally right now and we're also going to shut the beta down for a few days. With luck, it'll be in the next time the Beta is brought up.

We're currently conducting three types of tests: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, World of Warcraft 3.3.5 and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. There will be a server team to watch over the servers on weekends but we currently require additional work on StarCraft II so you won't see any during *this* weekend. They have to finish the other stuff first.

Napisao Frame | 22 maj 2010
Posted in Vesti - Blizzard

Here you will find a list of known issues we’re currently working to address. We will expand upon this list as new issues are detected, or when we have further updates to provide. Players are encouraged to visit our Bug Report forum to report potential issues and receive further updates. Thank you for your patience as we work to address these issues. 

General

• Map Publishing
  
  
  • The default Battle.net host in the editor is currently not configured with the correct beta information. Before you can publish from the editor, you will need to change this setting by doing the following:
    
    
    • Use the File > Preferences command from any editor window 
      
    • Select the Battle.net item in the list 
      
    • Change the Host value to: us-beta.logon.battle .net 
      
    • Click OK
  
  
• Some attack and spell effects are visible through the fog of war if a player has vision nearby. 
  
• Minimizing the client while waiting in a matchmaker queue can cause an assert/crash.

Battle.net

• There are no sound effects in Battle.net. 
  
• 3v3 and 4v4 matchmakers sometimes cause players to drop just before the game begins. 
  
• “Accou nt expire” text on the home page – this is not related to player beta accounts. 
  
• The Facebook friends Search feature may time out if you have a large number of Facebook friends. 
  
• Custom Game Lobbies are having issues related to player slot management:
  
  
  • AI players aren’t able to be removed once added. 
    
  • Sending a player to the Spectator team does not work. 
    
  • Canceling pending player invites, or kicking players, can cause them not to be able to enter the lobby.
  
  
• Players who get rated in 2v2/3v3/4v4 Random matches may not be able to view those ladders in their My Ladders page.

Protoss

• Enemy structures being warped in will display ‘Unpowered’  in the info panel even if they are within range of a power grid.

Terran

• When multiple buildings are selected, no buildings will construct an addon if the first building in the selection does not have room for the addon. 
  
• Attempting to build an addon while a building is being lifted can cause the building to land and start construction of the addon.

Zerg

• Overseer Contaminate is not disabling the command card button for any upgrades such as attack, armor, or abilities. This is only a visual issue as the Contaminate ability does prevent upgrades from progressing and prevents new upgrades from being started. 
  
• Overseer Contaminate is not halting queued SCV production from a Planetary Fortress. New SCVs are unable to be queued while the Planetary Fortress is contaminated. 
  
• Units under the control of Neural Parasite are not retaining any passive upgrades. Active abilities that are researched can still be used while a unit is under the control of Neural Parasite.

Napisao Frame | 21 maj 2010
Posted in Vesti - Blizzard

We've just released a new StarCraft short story centered around one of the most terrifying war machines the Koprulu sector has seen in recent history: the Odin.

An Umojan spy must infiltrate one of the Dominion’s most tightly guarded weapons research facilities in a desperate bid to uncover the truth about a secret weapon that could shift the balance of power in the Koprulu sector. If the fate of millions depended on you… how far would you be willing to go?

Check out the latest StarCraft short story, "Collateral Damage."

Napisao Frame | 21 maj 2010
Posted in Vesti - Blizzard

There have been many new additions to Patch 13 including the map publishing feature, but as with previous Situation Reports, we wanted to take some time to go into some of the balance changes in particular and explain a bit more about them. 

In this patch we are looking to address several balance issues that the community has discovered over the last few weeks. We are also addressing some of the zerg units and abilities that don’t see a lot of use in competitive games. These changes are big enough that we think it’s likely there will be further balance changes to these units as we learn more about how they are playing in the game. 

Sentry Force Fields - Force Fields can now be destroyed by Massive ground units walking over them. 

We are seeing a lot of great games that rely on Force Field as a key part of protoss strategy. The ability is fun, but we do want to create some more options for enemy players to deal with Force Fields to create some additional gameplay choices in a fight against the protoss. Now Massive units (Thor, Colossus, Ultralisk) will smash a Force Field if they are told to move through them. Ultralisks can use this ability to lead a Zerg charge onto a protoss position while protoss players can use their Colossus in an emergency to allow their army to attack or retreat. 

Ultralisk - Life decreased from 600 to 450. Damage changed from 25 to 15 (+25 Armored). Damage versus structures increased from 60 to 75. 

We have put in a large number of buffs to the Ultralisk to allow him to close the gap on his enemies. The Ultralisk can now ignore Force Fields and with the Infestor’s Frenzy ability he can ignore all of the ways that the enemy could slow or disable him. With all of these buffs the Ultralisk needed to be rebalanced. We are focusing him more as an anti-armored unit since zerg players already have a few ways to deal with mass light units (Banelings and Fungal Growth). This Ultralisk should be able to deal with both mass Marauders and mass Roaches which are a common threat to zerg players in some end game scenarios. 

Infestor - Infested Terrans spell removed. Frenzy spell added: Costs 25 energy - Targets a single biological unit which deals 25% more damage and is immune to snare, stuns, and mind control for 30 seconds. 

We are cutting Infested Terrans since the ability rarely saw use. We have buffed this ability in internal testing and were unable to find a place in which we were happy with it on the Infestor. We are introducing a new ability called “Frenzy” that is especially useful for the short range zerg to get close up to the enemy to do some real damage. Frenzy should be especially helpful on Ultralisks who are trying to get past Thor Strike Cannons, Fungal Growth, or Neural Parasite. 

Overseer - Contaminate spell added: Costs 75 energy - Targets a single enemy structure which cannot train units or research upgrades for 30 seconds. Infested Terran spell added: Costs 125 energy - Infested Terrans have the same stats as those previously created by the Infestor and are placed directly under the Overseer when spawned. 

The Overseer is designed as a harassment caster. We don’t want to see hundreds of Overseers flying around, but we do like the ability for the zerg to annoy and harass the enemy with spells like Changeling. We added two abilities on the Overseer that were recently removed from other more “combat oriented” units. We expect that player’s will still build 1-2 Overseers to watch the enemy base and provide detection support for your force, but now you can also use the Overseer’s energy to disrupt enemy production and research, or to make small drops that force the enemy to spread their forces. 

Void Rays - Range decreased from 7 to 6. 

Void Rays are being used aggressively against terrans now, using their range and speed to trap a terran player in their base. This is pretty fun for the protoss player but at a variety of skill levels it is too difficult for the terran player to stop, even if the player sees it coming with good scouting. We think a slight range reduction will help with this match-up without doing too much damage to other matchups. 

Terran Upgrades - Marine - Stimpack research cost decreased from 150/150 to 100/100. Combat Shield research cost decreased from 150/150 to 100/100. 

We still believe that the terrans are spending too much on infrastructure and are struggling to compete at certain times in the game against the protoss. Reducing the cost of essential infantry upgrades should make the terrans a little bit more dangerous when going with an infantry heavy force. 

As always, we are continuing to watch the data as we make these changes as well as are continuing to watch for constructive feedback on these changes and more.

Napisao Frame | 18 maj 2010
Posted in Vesti - Blizzard

Exclusive coverage of Blizzard Entertainment's gaming convention available through DIRECTV(R) satellite TV service and enhanced multi-channel Internet strea.

IRVINE, Calif., May 18, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that tickets for its fifth BlizzCon(R) gaming convention will go on sale in two batches on Wednesday, June 2 and Saturday, June 5, 2010. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft(R), Diablo(R), and StarCraft(R) game universes. The event will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on October 22 and 23. Live coverage of the event will be available as a DIRECTV(R) Pay Per View package and as a multi-channel Internet stream, allowing viewers online to switch between coverage of multiple panels and activities during the show.

"BlizzCon is a unique opportunity for our players to meet one another, strengthen the friendships they've formed online, and have a great time celebrating a shared passion for gaming together with Blizzard employees," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "For those who can't attend, we're pleased to be providing an unprecedented level of access to the activities and attractions that BlizzCon has to offer."

In addition to serving as a gathering place for the different Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will have an array of activities, including discussion panels, competitive and casual tournaments, contests, hands-on playtime with current and upcoming Blizzard Entertainment games, and more.

Tickets to the convention will be priced at $150 USD each and will be available for purchase from the official BlizzCon website at www.blizzcon.com. Tickets will be released in two separate batches on June 2 at 7 p.m. Pacific time and on June 5 at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Those interested in attending BlizzCon can simplify the purchase process by registering a Battle.net account at www.battle.net before ticket sales begin.

The popular DIRECTV(R) BlizzCon Pay Per View event will return in 2010, available to existing DIRECTV customers in the United States for $39.95 USD. The event will again deliver comprehensive live HD coverage from the show floor on each day of the convention, including exclusive interviews, demos, and more.

Gamers around the world will also have the option to purchase the Pay Per View event as a multi-channel Internet stream, also priced at $39.95 USD (pricing may vary by region). For the first time, anyone who purchases the Internet stream will be able to switch freely between multiple channels of coverage dedicated to different areas of BlizzCon, allowing online viewers expanded access to the panels and events they're most interested in. DIRECTV customers who order the televised event will receive this Internet stream at no extra charge, allowing them to watch in the format of their choice. Those who order the event will also receive this year's BlizzCon-exclusive World of Warcraft(R) in-game item (availability may vary by region), to be revealed at a later date. Limited streaming coverage of the BlizzCon opening ceremony and certain BlizzCon tournaments will be available via the Internet for free.

As BlizzCon draws closer, further details about the show, including ordering and programming information for the DIRECTV BlizzCon Pay Per View event and multi-channel Internet stream, will be announced atwww.blizzcon.com.

To keep pace with the continued growth of World of Warcraft as well as development on other Blizzard Entertainment games, the company is currently hiring for numerous open positions. More information on available career opportunities can be found at www.blizzard.com/jobs.